How much side-to-side blade play is acceptable to you?

T

Trip McNeely

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Sep 2, 2019
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I drive myself crazy trying to dial in my folders. High fidget value is one of the things that I prize in a folder, so I like them to fall shut... and usually find myself having to accept some lateral blade play in doing so.

My latest Para 3 Lightweight (M390... yay DLT!), is where I'm having to find that compromise now. Getting both (1) that Spydie-flick and (2) the fall-shut with (3) zero lateral play seems, to me, like a holy grail.

How hard to you pull on the blade in checking yours for blade play? Maybe I'm just torquing them to hard to check. Besides annoyance, what are the risks of too much lateral blade play? Any pro tips on getting knives dialed in? While I'm not completely new to the folder world, I have plenty to learn and would be grateful for some veteran input. Even something like, "Dude, you're just going to have to accept a little blade play if you want your knives to fall shut" would help, if that's indeed the case with most folders.
 
I’ve been able to get my blue para 3 from Bento Box to have zero blade play and drop shut. What I did was tighten the knife super super tight and just opened and closed it for an hour or so... then I loosened it to just the point where there was no blade-play. And it would still drop-shut. If I’m thinking correctly this forces the washers and blade to wear and polish each other. Hope this helps. :thumbsup:
 
I just got the DLT Para3 LW the other day and it was very stiff out of the box.

I used a couple drops of tuff glide and backed off the pivot screw a bit and it drops shut with zero play.
It actually surprised me that there was no play at all.

If you try cycling the knife a bit more and tighten your pivot screw slightly it may eliminate the side to side.
 
I personally wouldn’t worry about adjusting out play until the knife has at least 100 open/close cycles on it. And I don’t oil it till then, assuming it’s new. Let the washers and steel wear in/ break in.Otherwise it will change and you’ll be doing y again and again.
 
Trip McNeely said:
having to accept some lateral blade play in doing so.
Click to expand...
I'll take a fair amount. Sure if I can adjust it all out I will. One of these winters I'll take some of the slop masters apart and tune 'em just like CRK does :rolleyes: . . . or there abouts.

I don't horse the blade back and forth. It's a light thumb and index finger task. A quick wiggle more than levering back and forth. As I've said before I have had knives for years without even testing for play and then someone here mentions theirs and I check mine . . .
yup . . . gots some play to.

I figure that if I am buying $50 to $150 knives I'm going to have some play if I want them to drop like you do (and I do).

Above $200-$500 + that's where I'll start bitching about it.
And you know what ? Ain't much play up around there.
940-1 ! ! !
CRK 21 ! ! ! !
 
I have the same problem with my red para 3 LW. Can't get it to drop shut without blade play. Had blade play right out of the box. spent a couple days just opening and closing it over and over with no progress.

Dropped in some oil and tried turning it. No blade play and you have to force it open and closed. Get it to be flickable and there blade play. I just got a bad one, and I'm just going to leave it be now. It cuts, and that's all that matters at the end of the day.
 
I don't care for blade play in a folder anymore then I care for a sloppy trigger on a firearm ... but I don't actually need a free dropping blade ... as long as it opens smoothly ... so for me I guess none or it most likely won't be a keeper ...

I'm not sure why anyone says you should expect any blade play no matter the price of the knife ... I have folders from $20.00 to over $500.00 ... and none of my folders have any blade play ... but maybe I'm the odd one out in not caring about a free dropping blade ... even though several of them are that way even when tightened down tight ... but without blade play.

I did have one PM2 that was that way (some blade before it would function right) from the dealer ... but it went right back and was exchanged.
 
No play is acceptable, I would rather pay more for a nicer blade that has no issues than buy 10 blades for the same price that have minor issues.

I have a couple chinesium Kershaws that have no blade play and awesome actions and they were $35 knives so it isn't always a money factor as much as a quality issue.

My Reates and Hinderers are just better all around knives so I can justify the 1000% increase in cost haha. At least that's what I tell myself.
 
I care more about blade play than drop shut. I am lucky though, I have 2 Alan Davis folders with NO play thay drop shut.
One of them was made when we were just starting to get into bearings and Alan was nailing it from the start.
Only other knife I have had like that was a thorburn.

Russ
 
I don't like play. I don't mind if my blades don't just drop shut. Most I have to give them a shake. My 562cf and 470 are pretty much drop shut, they have almost no friction. My 801ti and 0095 are close behind. My 456cf needs a decent shake. My pm2s and para 3 swing freely when the lock is disengaged, my para 3 lw doesn't, but I can lightly flick it open and closed. Good enough for me!

None of these blades have play. I believe the p3 LW will improve with more openings.
 
Blade play means that blade joint suffer small side tilt every time you apply force to the knife (e.g. cutting), which leads to slightly faster wear in pivot joint (not acceptable!). My opinion - no side-play, no free-fall, but still easily open by thumb. A little tuning with screw will do the job, especially if thickness of blade/washers match precisely to space between liners (and a drop of oil).
 
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